Hello and welcome to Multiversity’s look at the “Best of the Rest” of what’s coming your way in the now-available November 2022 Previews catalog. Matt Garcia has decided to pass the baton back to me after taking over the column in 2018 and I’m excited to be back and helping you navigate the vast majority of what Diamond is offering via your LCS for the month of January 2023. Having already taken a look at what Marvel, DC, Image, and the Manga/Purple Previews sections have lined up for us, it’s now time to check out the other 75% of the catalog.
That said, let’s dive in!
10. Time To Get Dangerous!
I was JUST a little too old to catch Darkwing Duck as part of my cartoon intake, but I do have an affinity for Disney’s duck comics. Combine that sensability with a playful melding of pulp adventure tropes and you have a blueprint for some fun comics!
DARKWING DUCK #1
Written by Amanda Deibert
Illustrated by Carlo Lauro
Cover by David Nakayama
Published by Dynamite Entertainment
In Shops: Jan 04, 2023
SRP: $3.99He is the terror that flaps in the night…He is the ferocious fowl who plucks the evil eye from the face of foul play…He is Darkwing Duck! Alongside his trusty sidekick Lauchpad McQuack, Darkwing hyper-vigilantly defends St. Canard from the dastardly, devilish demons who would wage wanton war! By night, our caped defender lurks in the shadows, striking fear (and maybe confusion?) in the heart of the criminal underworld…but by day, no one suspects that Darkwing is also mild-mannered Drake Mallard, a well-meaning father to his adorable adopted daughter, Gosalyn! Can Darkwing successfully navigate his two separate lives, all while looking incredibly cool and impossibly handsome? (Hint: Probably not, but…) You’ll have to read to find out!
9. I Wouldn’t Say I Prefer One Genre Over All Others. . .
…buuuuuuuut there is going to be a fair amount of science fiction represented in this month’s article. I can’t help the fact that comics are an exceptional medium for science fiction because of the relative ease by which it can convey so much of the wonder/horror that good science fiction can evoke. And Dan McDaid knows how to use comics to make you feel those things and more. So a new Dan McDaid book is going to get a nod from me.
DEGA OGN
Written & Illustrated by Dan McDaid
Cover by Dan McDaid
Published by Oni Press
In Shops: Jan 11, 2023
SRP: $21.99A crashed ship, a lone survivor, a monstrous secret hiding in the dark under the world. This is Dega, the new graphic novel from Doctor Who, Judge Dredd, and Firefly artist Dan McDaid.
Written, illustrated, and lettered by McDaid, Dega delivers a stirring, unsettling blend of hardboiled sci-fi action, hypnagogic surrealism, and existential mystery. Hailed as “electric… A title you have to read cover to cover and back to front” by Richard Starkings (Elephantmen) and “Beautiful… Valerian meets Ronin” by mindlessones.com. The clues are all there, but hurry–time is running in…
8. From The Land Of Ice & Snow
Having said that, of course my next pick would be something with zero science in it, from a cartoonist I’ve never heard of before. But great googily moogily do the preview pages for this book look good! And everything that makes comics good for sci-fi can also be applied to other time periods as well. So looks like I’m swapping out a space-suit for leather and a battle-ax for this one!
Continued belowTHE EXILE OGN
Written & Illustrated by Erik Kriek
Cover by Erik Kriek
Published by Living the Line
In Shops: Feb 22, 2023
SRP: $40.00After seven years of exile, battle-hardened Hallstein Thordsson returns home to Iceland, only to find that old wounds haven’t healed. A remarkable decades-spanning epic, Erik Kriek’s The Exile is equal parts action “Western” and family drama, with a surprising story of violence and consequences at its core. Kriek is a decorated illustrator known for his work on In the Pines (2015) and Gutsman. This is his debut graphic novel.
7. Seems You Can Die More Than Twice
I really dug the first issue of this miniseries, but lost track of the followups because life is… you know. But thankfully BOOM! is not only collecting it but doing so in an oversized package. Not exactly the best way to get me to keep buying the singles if I know there’s going to be such a nice collection at the end of the publishing line, but thanks to all the comics readers better than I who supported the mini, us Jonny-Come-Lately’s get to benefit. Thanks!
THE MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR DELUXE HC
Written by Ram V.
Illustrated by Filipe Andrade
Cover by Filipe Andrade
Published by BOOM! Studios
In Shops: Mar 01, 2023
SRP: $29.99Humanity is on the verge of discovering immortality. As a result, the avatar of Death is cast down to Earth to live a mortal life in Mumbai as twenty-something Laila Starr.
Struggling with her newfound mortality, Laila has found a way to be placed in the time and place where the creator of immortality will be born.
Will Laila take her chance to stop mankind from permanently altering the cycle of life, or will death really become a thing of the past?
Don’t miss this premium, oversized presentation of the Ignatz Award-winning, Eisner, Harvey, and Ringo-nominated, bestselling graphic novel from writer Ram V (These Savage Shores, Swamp Thing) and Filipe Andrade (Captain Marvel) that explores the fine line between living and dying through the lens of magical realism.
6. Angry Archie!
Does any comics publisher with iconic characters do a better job of mashing up those icons with seemingly incompatable genres or properties better than Archie Comics? From Afterlife with Archie to Archie vs Predator to even Archie vs The Punisher, the kids from Riverdale are surprisingly flexible when it comes to putting them in the weirdest settings and just seeing what happens.
ARCHIE VS. THE WORLD ONE-SHOT
Written by Aubrey Sitterson
Illustrated by Jed Dougherty
Cover by Jed Dougherty
Published by Archie Comics
In Shops: Jan 18, 2023
SRP: $3.99In a post-apocalyptic future, our hero Archie Andrews is cursed to walk the world alone-well, alone with his souped-up jalopy. But Archie can defend himself-in fact, he’s the master of a brutal, deadly form of martial arts and must use his skills when he comes face-to-face with his rival and evil mirror image, Reggie. This action-packed one-shot is equal parts Mad Max: Fury Road and The Fist of the North Star, and reunites the Jughead the Burgarian team from 2022’s smash-hit comic THE BEST ARCHIE COMIC EVER!
5. By Any Other Name. . .
It was the cover that got me on this one. That and the idea of a more modern take on the Osamu Tezuka classic ASTRO BOY property (because I’m a big fan of Urasawa’s Pluto). But in the minimal amount of research I did on this book, I found out that it might not be just a straight re-telling but more of a Pluto-style reimagining? If not quite as out there as Urasawa’s work, definitely more than just a new coat of paint? Color me intrigued!
ATOM: THE BEGINNING v4
Written and Illustrated by Tetsuro Kasahara
Cover by Hitotsu Yokoshima
Published by Titan Comics
In Shops: Apr 12, 2023
SRP: $12.99Dig into the secrets of ATOM: The Beginning Volume 4, the award-winning prequel series to Osamu Tesuka’s Astro Boy! More robot madness awaits, perfect for mecha fans of all ages!
The military base was indeed holding secrets – as Six and his human friends face down the terrifying military robot Ivan, our robot with a heart of gold hears a strange cry for help from the sentinel soldier…
4. Or 1:13, As It Were
I know next to nothing about this series, even though I’ve seen the title pop up numerous times (to which I immediately think someone misspelled Prometheus). However, the description sounds interesting and I absolutely know that Diggle and Martinbrough are two creators who have yet to disappoint me when they work together. Add to that Ablaze’s track record of picking good material to put out and this collection gets a preliminary thumbs up from me.
Continued belowPROMETHEE 13:13
Written by Andy Diggle and Christophe Bec
Illustrated by Shawn Martinbrough
Colored by Dave Stewart
Cover by Jock
Published by Ablaze
In Shops: Feb 15, 2023
SRP: $16.99EISNER NOMINATED SERIES COLLECTED IN PRINT FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Andy Diggle (Green Arrow: Year One, James Bond, The Losers, Hellblazer), Shawn Martinbrough (Thief of Thieves, Batman: Detective Comics, The Black Panther, Hellboy), Dave Stewart (Hellboy, DC: The New Frontier, The Umbrella Academy), and Jock (Batman, The Losers) bring you a psychological sci-fi horror comic full of alien conspiracy…
What if you knew the world was about to end? What would you be willing to do to save the people you love?
Darla Clemenceau has been plagued by apocalyptic visions ever since she was abducted by a UFO as a child. Now, she’s ready to put it all behind her and move on with her life. But what if it’s all true? A dangerous cult militia is prepping for the end of the world, and they see Darla as the key to their survival…
Meanwhile, something alien is awakening on the dark side of the Moon, and the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis have a rendezvous with destiny…
A prequel to Promethee – Christophe Bec’s best-selling, mind-bending graphic novel series, Promethee 13:13 tells the thrilling fast-paced space drama leading up to the moments of September 21, 2019, at 13:13.
3. An Anthology’s Anthology
It kinda makes sense that the only way to give you a sense of an anthology title at its best is to present its best in an anthology format. Because one of the thrilling things about the power of 2000AD is not only the individual stories but the fact they come at you from completely different angles in the same reading experience. Tharg and the droids really went all out on these Best Of collections, so treat yourself to a much-needed dose of Thrillpower with one of these bad boys!
THE BEST OF 2000AD v2
Written by Al Ewing, Alan Moore, John Wagner, Pat Mills
Illustrated by Colin Wilson, Steve Dillon, John Higgins, Mick McMahon, Kevin O’Neill
Cover by Becky Cloonan
Published by Rebellion/2000AD
In Shops: Jan 18, 2023
SRP: $22.99The ultimate 2000 AD mix-tape has finally arrived! An explosive Judge Dredd adventure, fresh essays by prominent popular culture writers, a graphic novel-length feature presentation and a vintage Dredd case. In this volume: Judge Dredd hunts untraceable assassins firing Magic Bullets by Al Ewing and Colin Wilson; even robots get the Red Planet Blues from Alan Moore, Steve Dillon and John Higgins; not even Mega City One’s brightest can escape The Vampire Effect; join the front line of the resistance against intergalactic bigots in Gothic masterpiece Nemesis The Warlock! Cover by Becky Cloonan and designer Tom Muller.
2. Read It Again For The First Time
As we already established earlier in the article, I’m both an Alan Moore fan and a 2000AD fan, so this book lives at the intersection of those two parts of the Venn diagram. But Halo Jones is an exceptional work in the catalog of either parties, even in its unfortunately unfinished form. It is a feminist space opera that happens to also be funny, sweet, heart-breaking, jaw-dropping, and so many other colors of the emotional palette. And speaking of palette, Nosenzo’s work in coloring this originally B&W material should be an example of how to introduce color into older work in a respectful and complementary manner. Her choices are so spot-on the work looks like it had its original coloring restored, not new coloring added. Every accolade you’ve heard about this story is true, and now you have even less reason to not add it to your library with this new color omnibus collection.
Continued belowTHE BALLAD OF HALO JONES FULL-COLOR OMNIBUS EDITION
Written by Alan Moore
Illustrated by Ian Gibson
Colored by Barbara Nosenzo
Published by Rebellion/2000ADIn Shops: Jan 25, 2023
SRP: $49.99The ultimate edition of Alan Moore and Ian Gibson’s feminist space opera! Radical and revolutionary, Rebellion is proud to present Alan Moore and Ian Gibson’s ground-breaking science fiction classic in a full color omnibus for the first time! A cultural icon and a high mark for British comics, this timeless tale of one woman’s endurance amidst a sea of dead-end and deadly jobs remains one of Alan Moore’s most beloved sagas. Restored and lovingly colored by Barbara Nosenzo, and featuring a new introduction by Keiron Gillen and bonus content, The Ballad of Halo Jones remains essential reading.
1. The Gift of BLAB!
This is an anthology I had literally never heard of until scouring Previews for this article. Which is surprsing given its pedigree of being published by Fantagraphics, Kitchen Sink Press, and Last Gasp over a 20-year span that I was definitely reading comics during. It even won a Harvey Award in 1994! And yet… zilch from me. But that changes next year, because I do enjoy a good anthology title and given this lineup, BLAB!‘s return looks like something to talk about.
BLAB! vol. 1
Written by Monte Beauchamp, Noah Van Sciver, Jeffrey Steele, Giselle Potter
Illustrated by Noah Van Sciver, Jeffrey Steele, Giselle Potter, Greg Clarke, Ryan Heshka
Cover by Ryan Heshka
Published by Dark Horse ComicsIn Shops: Mar 15, 2023
SRP: $24.99BLAB!-the Harvey Award-winning anthology of cutting-edge comics, art, and culture-has returned to its comics roots with a stellar lineup of contributors. Noah Van Sciver depicts the tragic demise of Crime Does Not Pay editor Robert Wood. Ryan Heshka recounts the rise and fall of Superman creators Siegel and Shuster. Sasha Velour portrays the making of film director F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu. Children’s book illustrator Giselle Potter examines Peter Rabbit author Beatrix Potter’s passion as a naturalist. Illustrated articles include the history of the gorilla and a report on UFOs. All this and much more in Comics and Stories That Will Make You BLAB!
BLAB! is an eclectic mix of fiction and nonfiction presented in a variety of forms-comics, picture books, and illustrated essays-with a special emphasis on style and tone.
Well, that was fun! Be sure to let us know what books YOU’RE excited for in the Comments section!
